For Immediate Release: July 13, 2023 
Contact: Audrey Sandusky, asandusky@nfprha.org

House Subcommittee Funding Proposal Eliminates Family Planning Program  

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) issued the following statement in response to the House Appropriations Labor-HHS Subcommittee fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding proposal released today, attributed to Clare Coleman, NFPRHA’s President & CEO:  

 “Today, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS Subcommittee proposed a shortsighted and dangerous appropriations bill that defunds the nation’s Title X family planning program. The proposed elimination of Title X funding will eviscerate access to lifesaving preventive health care, including cancer screening, STI testing and treatment, and contraception for the people who have no or low incomes and communities that have been historically and systemically marginalized. The bill further attempts to strain the Title X network by interfering with federal regulations to limit options pregnancy counseling and abortion referral within Title X, a requirement in the program.   

“If enacted, today’s proposal would set off a cascade of consequences that would destroy the family planning safety net beyond repair and leave patients without access to critical care. Title X’s annual budget supports a network of more than 3,000 providers around the country that offer care to millions of people. More than one-third of patients who rely on Title X are uninsured, 65% live at or below federal poverty, and more than 20% have limited English proficiency. 

“Every one of us deserves to be able to make the best health care choices for ourselves and have the freedom to determine our own life path, including what our family looks like, no matter our zip code, our circumstances, or our economic status. We urge Congress to do what’s best for their constituents and the highly qualified health care providers in their districts: save Title X and fully fund this essential public health program.” 

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NFPRHA is a membership organization representing publicly funded family planning providers and administrators nationwide. NFPRHA advances and elevates the importance of family planning in the nation’s health care system and promotes and supports the work of family planning providers and administrators, especially those in the safety net. For more information, visit nationalfamilyplanning.org.